[Difflugia]

Zondervan has put several interesting books that are normally $6.99, on sale for $2.99. The publisher pages below each have a "Buy now" link that will take you to your favorite retailer.

Kobo is listed, but is the only one that hasn't dropped its prices (both books are still $6.99 at the moment). If you want to gamble on waiting, Zondervan books are eligible for coupons at Kobo and in addition to the various contest codes and sometimes-working 80% off mentioned in this thread, UNLIMITED50 is a multi-use, 50% off coupon that's good all weekend.

Note that all of these books are presented from an evangelical Christian point of view and presuppose the historical accuracy of the Bible.

The Bible among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? by John N. Oswalt
Publisher page

Sixty years ago, most biblical scholars maintained that Israel’s religion was unique---that it stood in marked contrast to the faiths of its ancient Near Eastern neighbors. Nowadays, it is widely argued that Israel’s religion mirrors that of other West Semitic societies. What accounts for this radical change, and what are its implications for our understanding of the Old Testament? Dr. John N. Oswalt says the root of this new attitude lies in Western society’s hostility to the idea of revelation, which presupposes a reality that transcends the world of the senses, asserting the existence of a realm humans cannot control. While not advocating a “the Bible says it, and I believe it, and that settles it” point of view, Oswalt asserts convincingly that while other ancient literatures all see reality in essentially the same terms, the Bible differs radically on all the main points. The Bible Among the Myths supplies a necessary corrective to those who reject the Old Testament’s testimony about a transcendent God who breaks into time and space and reveals himself in and through human activity.

The rest of these are the (currently) five volume Ancient Context, Ancient Faith series.

The Bible and the Land by Gary M. Burge
Publisher page

As the early church moved away from the original cultural setting of the Bible and found its home in the west, Christians lost touch with the ancient world of the Bible. Cultural habits, the particulars of landscape, even the biblical languages soon were unknown. And the cost was enormous: Christians began reading the Bible as foreigners and missing the original images and ideas that shaped a biblical worldview.

This new book by New Testament scholar Gary Burge launches a multivolume series that explores how the culture of the biblical world is presupposed in story after story of the Bible. Using cultural anthropology, ancient literary sources, and a selective use of modern Middle Eastern culture, Burge reopens the ancient biblical story and urges us to look at them through new lenses. Here he explores primary motifs from the biblical landscape---geography, water, rock, bread, etc.---and applies them to vital stories from the Bible.

Finding the Lost Images of God by Timothy S. Laniak
Publisher page

Images are frequently used in the Bible to describe God and his relationship with his chosen people. Without an accurate understanding of the images, we cannot comprehend the profound biblical revelations they communicate. Understanding these cultural vehicles of communication comes by learning the cultural background of those who created them. Timothy S. Laniak illuminates this background for readers “from the ground up” with his archaeological and anthropological explanations of the contexts the authors lived in. Suitable for students, pastors, and lay leaders, the Zondervan ebook Images of God and His People links these cultural characteristics with the images of God with corresponding images of his people found in the Old and New Testaments. This complementary approach reveals a rich relationship between God and the people he loves and calls into his service.

Encounters with Jesus by Gary M. Burge
Publisher page

Christian readers of the New Testament study the great stories about Jesus through the lens of western culture. In this series of books, Gary Burge uses his extensive knowledge of the first century world and the Middle East to offer insights not available to the average person. Each book will develop important cultural themes and wrap them around well-known New Testament passages. And the result will be insights rarely gained elsewhere.
See Jesus through the eyes of two men and three women. Each character in the story---a tax collector, a Phoenician woman, a centurion, etc.---brings along elements from their own world now hidden from us because we do not share the culture of Jesus' world. Insights from the first century Middle East abound to unlock profound insights about Jesus and his audience.

Jesus and the Jewish Festivals by Gary M. Burge
Publisher page

Christian readers of the New Testament study the great stories about Jesus through the lens of western culture. In this series of books, Gary Burge uses his extensive knowledge of the first century world and the Middle East to offer insights not available to the average person. Each book will develop important cultural themes and wrap them around well-known New Testament passages. And the result will be insights rarely gained elsewhere. Observe how Jesus celebrated the great festivals of Judaism. In each of the six accounts, you will explore the Jewish festival as it was celebrated in the first century and then examine how Jesus used the imagery of the festival to unveil his own mission. Explore the Jewish Sabbath, Passover, Tabernacles, and Hanukkah as Jesus knew them.

Bringing Jesus to the Desert by Brad Nassif
Publisher page

This Zondervan ebook sketches out the rise of the great Desert Fathers and Mothers of the 3rd - 6th centuries, and then shares the stories and sayings of five of their greatest leaders. It will instill wisdom in the everyday lives of modern Christians through the storytelling of great monastic biographies taken from Egypt, Palestine and Syria.

This book is written so that common Christians can follow the lives and teachings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers as a contemporary guides to the spiritual life. It applies the timeless principles of their lives without advocating for their particular lifestyles in the desert. Desert disciples from the 3rd to 6th centuries will be our compelling models of Christian living by inspiring us to live to our fullest potential through their moving stories and timeless teachings. Their tender stories and colorful sayings offer key insights for living in the heart of the urban desert today.